Letters to the Editor for Jan. 23, 2018

President Trump is often described as a transactional person. A deal-maker. Wrong! To have a transaction, a “deal,” you need at least two parties willing to exchange items of (perceived) equal value. In Latin, it’s quid pro quo, or Something for Something. Trump is a unilateralist. One-sided. My way or the highway kind of guy. Just listen to him. "I know more than the generals." "I alone can solve the terrorist problem."...Why has he been involved in nearly 4,000 lawsuits? In his so-called area of expertise, i.e., business, he’s infamous for stiffing his sub-contractors. His modus is to withhold payment which eventually leads to him being sued. Then, like a playground bully, he counter-sues for significantly more money charging the defendant with incompetence, price gouging and defamation. His goal is to settle for a fraction of what he really owes. That’s less of deal making than it is of extortion. There is no “art” in his deal making because there is no deal. It’s a dictate. Whatever he decrees is all that matters. Trump is the master of quid no quo. Sad.